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Need for Speed Most Wanted

Most wanted by who?

If there's one thing that you can guarantee from Electronic Arts it's a sequel or yearly update from a franchise that they know Mr. Johnny Average will go out and buy. You only have to look at the annual or even bi-annual updates to sports series such as FIFA Football, Madden and Tiger Woods to spot the trend, and who can blame them when they all consistently sell in droves? And incidentally, why should they make any effort to drastically improve each game when they know that it'll still sell like hot cakes even if it's rubbish? Need For Speed Underground: Most Wanted is the most recent 'chavved'-up exhibitor in EA's street racing series and, some would say clever, another clever business tactic.

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There are two major differences between Need for Speed Underground: Most Wanted and NFSU2's gameplay. First, take a moment to adjust your vision because now the action takes place not only in the nighttime but also in the middle of the day. Secondly, and perhaps the most defining feature of the game, is the inclusion of an increasingly ruthless police force whose sole desire is to stop you in your tracks and bust your ass (please, 'arse' - Ed).

Each of the new additions feature in the game's main Career mode in which, you, a nameless youth, enter Rockport City with the desire to become the hottest street racer around. Of course this task isn't as easy as slipping a fiver into the top pocket of the Blacklist (the name of the underground group) leader's Armani suit. In order to prove your worth you've got to compete in all kinds of races and challenges. These range from simple A-B checkpoint racing, speed competitions and tests of your nerve as you attempt to evade the cops. The story unfolds via a sequence of embarrassingly scripted and acted cut scenes in which you might think you've acquired psychic abilities in being able to predict what the onscreen characters are about to say. This false realisation soon subsides when you know that the lines spoken are those which you've heard a hundred times before in countless movies where car chases play a central role. Furthermore, the cut scenes are played out by real life actors who have been rendered onto a computer generated background. The result is, rather aptly, a car crash pallet of colours that just looks a bit of a mess.

The cop chases themselves are solidly implemented encounters which really do make you feel like you're centre of attention in some kind of World's Wildest Police Videos programme. As is your mindset, the boys in blue aren't going to let you get away without a fight; the longer you continue to flee from them the harder they try to stop you. Whether this is by adding more squad cars to the chase, laying spike strips or setting up road blocks, it's always a tense experience. The fact that all radio communication between police officers is audible throughout the time adds to the desperation you feel as you attempt to escape. And when you do escape you can't help but feel pleased with yourself, this is both the case in the career mode and the Challenge mode which offers much the same with but without the direction of an unfolding story.

Graphically Need For Speed Underground: Most Wanted is sound overall. The thirty or so licensed cars have all been beautifully re-created and it shows as they stand out more than anything else around you. Impressive also is the continued standard of their look in the post-customisation stage, an option available to you in order to personalize your ride with rims, trims, vinyls and paintjobs. The city environments themselves are varied enough to be convincing, if a little grainy and certainly not as pin-sharp in appearance as the vehicles. Occasionally, the visuals are marred by a slight drop in frame rate at particularly busy times - let's call it 'rush hour' for poor comic reasons. Lastly and most disappointingly there exists little or no car damage. Attempting to render your car non-roadworthy results in nothing more than a few cracked windows no matter how hard you try. If looks are your thing then you're better off sticking with Burnout 3. The way Need for Speed Underground: Most Wanted sounds is also impressive. In addition to the convincing police banter are perfect re-creations of each car's engine sound that mean you can, in some senses, experience the power of each motor as you bolt around the city streets. Lastly, whether you love 'em or loath 'em the EA Trax make their obligatory presence felt with a mix of rap and rock tunes.

Need for Speed Underground: Most Wanted's multiplayer supports an online mode that is functional rather than groundbreaking. Up to four players can compete in events that range from basic head-to-head competition to drag racing and checkpoint contests. Successes and losses are tallied the whole time so that everyone can see who is king of the road, giving lesser players an incentive to perfect their skills.

As far as racers go you could do a lot worse than Most Wanted. The only thing stopping it achieving a better score are the aforementioned niggles coupled with some below par AI. Their computer-controlled abilities switch from laughably amateur to 'one mistake and its race over' Terminator-style brutality in a matter of moments which seems more than a little unfair. Saying that, regardless of any of the game's faults it's probably going to be a Christmas bestseller for EA. Whether you can go without a NFS for another year or if you're adamant that you won't budge until EA produce a definitive example of the series is up to you. Otherwise enjoy this latest title that certainly gets more right than it does than it does wrong.

77%

1. conchetumare chupa el pico

   cristoper Saturday, 10 December 2005, 15:21:57

2. test

   Jason Sunday, 11 December 2005, 19:46:20

3. so whats best? Need for speed underground rivals or this one... i just saved enuf money for the game so i want to know...

   Tuning rocks

   killrsheep Monday, 12 December 2005, 21:27:44

4. I think the xbox 360 sucks so much I want to though it out the window +

   Adam Wednesday, 14 December 2005, 15:31:2

5. any cheats i need 2 have them

   Dre Wednesday, 21 December 2005, 21:32:16

6. bueno este juego la lleva kiero puro jugar

   pero no se puede deverian

   tener para bajarlo

   bueno eso no mas chau

   este juego es la raja

   loko fes Thursday, 22 December 2005, 05:56:37

7. dddddddddddd

   ddddddddddddd Sunday, 25 December 2005, 01:32:57

8. hjghjdjgh

   j Monday, 26 December 2005, 23:46:13

9. na

   na Tuesday, 27 December 2005, 07:36:3

10. is there a no damage cheat for nfs mostwanted or is there a special thing u need to get no damage????

    mike456723 Saturday, 31 December 2005, 22:01:18

11. is there a no damage cheat for nfs mostwanted or is there a special thing u need to get no damage????

    mike456723 Saturday, 31 December 2005, 22:01:43

12. is there a no damage cheat for nfs mostwanted or is there a special thing u need to get no damage????

    mike456723 Saturday, 31 December 2005, 22:01:43

13. your website is crapp

    adam Wednesday, 4 January 2006, 16:53:57

14. tell adam he suck monkey ass

    nate Saturday, 7 January 2006, 02:44:9

16. este site é otimo

    luma Sunday, 8 January 2006, 23:48:49

17. este site é otimo

    luma Sunday, 8 January 2006, 23:49:11

18. este site é otimo

    luma Sunday, 8 January 2006, 23:49:11

19. First of all... You people can wrigt some plainy stupid and crap comments... but thats just normal... secondly... this game diserves alot more credit then it was just given... yes you could say that EA didn't spend three years in development but they didn't need to. thats what the undergrounds where for... EA are one smart company... i recomend that you play it and make up your own mind because the simple way to put it is... this games is the most fun i have had since underground 2 and have to say i find everything to be an emprovement... buy this game and you can't go wrong... so meh

    leozer Thursday, 12 January 2006, 09:29:4

20. you don't know how to do a review so don't try. and the game is called Need for Speed Most Wanted, there's no "ricer"ground in the title ANYWHERE, and this reviewer can't even reserch on the title, so why would ANYONE want to judge a game on a false title?

    this game is simplly the best racing games on the parket because:

    +graphics, it's next generation graphics, on PC, the gfx is better than on xbox360.

    +car damage isn't on because if it is on, you won't have a chance againest the police which will render the game pointless. people don't understand, this is a game for fun, not meant to be realistic.

    +cops chases are the best bit of the whole game.

    the only bad thing about the game is that you can moddify the exotic cars, they are not meant to be modified, to put body-kits on.

    so, play the game again, read other reviews, buy a new computer and then try again at reviewing the game.

    not-pleased-reader Saturday, 14 January 2006, 10:26:35

21. you don't know how to do a review so don't try. and the game is called Need for Speed Most Wanted, there's no "ricer"ground in the title ANYWHERE, and this reviewer can't even reserch on the title, so why would ANYONE want to judge a game on a false title?

    this game is simplly the best racing games on the parket because:

    +graphics, it's next generation graphics, on PC, the gfx is better than on xbox360.

    +car damage isn't on because if it is on, you won't have a chance againest the police which will render the game pointless. people don't understand, this is a game for fun, not meant to be realistic.

    +cops chases are the best bit of the whole game.

    the only bad thing about the game is that you can moddify the exotic cars, they are not meant to be modified, to put body-kits on.

    so, play the game again, read other reviews, buy a new computer and then try again at reviewing the game.

    not-pleased-reader Saturday, 14 January 2006, 10:26:35

22. you don't know how to do a review so don't try. and the game is called Need for Speed Most Wanted, there's no "ricer"ground in the title ANYWHERE, and this reviewer can't even reserch on the title, so why would ANYONE want to judge a game on a false title?

    this game is simplly the best racing games on the parket because:

    +graphics, it's next generation graphics, on PC, the gfx is better than on xbox360.

    +car damage isn't on because if it is on, you won't have a chance againest the police which will render the game pointless. people don't understand, this is a game for fun, not meant to be realistic.

    +cops chases are the best bit of the whole game.

    the only bad thing about the game is that you can moddify the exotic cars, they are not meant to be modified, to put body-kits on.

    so, play the game again, read other reviews, buy a new computer and then try again at reviewing the game.

    not-pleased-reader Saturday, 14 January 2006, 10:26:35

23. you don't know how to do a review so don't try. and the game is called Need for Speed Most Wanted, there's no "ricer"ground in the title ANYWHERE, and this reviewer can't even reserch on the title, so why would ANYONE want to judge a game on a false title?

    this game is simplly the best racing games on the parket because:

    +graphics, it's next generation graphics, on PC, the gfx is better than on xbox360.

    +car damage isn't on because if it is on, you won't have a chance againest the police which will render the game pointless. people don't understand, this is a game for fun, not meant to be realistic.

    +cops chases are the best bit of the whole game.

    the only bad thing about the game is that you can moddify the exotic cars, they are not meant to be modified, to put body-kits on.

    so, play the game again, read other reviews, buy a new computer and then try again at reviewing the game.

    not-pleased-reader Saturday, 14 January 2006, 10:26:35

24. you don't know how to do a review so don't try. and the game is called Need for Speed Most Wanted, there's no "ricer"ground in the title ANYWHERE, and this reviewer can't even reserch on the title, so why would ANYONE want to judge a game on a false title?

    this game is simplly the best racing games on the parket because:

    +graphics, it's next generation graphics, on PC, the gfx is better than on xbox360.

    +car damage isn't on because if it is on, you won't have a chance againest the police which will render the game pointless. people don't understand, this is a game for fun, not meant to be realistic.

    +cops chases are the best bit of the whole game.

    the only bad thing about the game is that you can moddify the exotic cars, they are not meant to be modified, to put body-kits on.

    so, play the game again, read other reviews, buy a new computer and then try again at reviewing the game.

    not-pleased-reader Saturday, 14 January 2006, 10:26:36

25. need for speed chates

    locky Saturday, 21 January 2006, 13:05:24

26. hallo i'am anojan

    anojan Sunday, 22 January 2006, 13:14:13

27. send me a free game of need for speed most wanted

    318 seminary ave.

    amanda foschia Wednesday, 25 January 2006, 16:47:48

28. portugal is the best

    pedro Thursday, 26 January 2006, 18:00:4

29. hive completed blck list 1 and iv just got need for speed most wanted 5 days ago

    chrissy boy Saturday, 28 January 2006, 14:59:15

30. bu oyun ne zaman çik çak?

    bu oyunne zaman çikacak?

    buoyune zaman çikacak?

    mert Monday, 30 January 2006, 10:11:25

32. iloveu all

    by moslem

    iloveu Friday, 10 February 2006, 13:21:28

33. watte?

    bartje Thursday, 16 February 2006, 15:02:26

34. is there a cheat for unlocking everything!!!

    braden Tuesday, 21 February 2006, 15:19:26

35. this game is hot do u all know what i mean

    little john Saturday, 25 February 2006, 23:20:8

36. any body know a pretty 11 year old girl for johny over here

    little john Saturday, 25 February 2006, 23:24:32

37. it's good

    nika Wednesday, 1 March 2006, 10:43:43

38. It is really MOST WANTED

    Azzam Friday, 10 March 2006, 12:40:27

39. make this go on the game now

    braden Saturday, 11 March 2006, 19:47:40

40. ya this is good

    i say the super duper coolest game i have ever seen

    spycho_049767 Wednesday, 15 March 2006, 11:24:32

41. i think the game is bad and it is a great game i have played

    cormac Wednesday, 15 March 2006, 17:17:39

42. ie celmai bun joc care iam jucat

    liviu Monday, 20 March 2006, 14:51:37

43. i love games big up to my girl abida and big up stepney green school

    shipon Monday, 20 March 2006, 21:56:21

44. I don't get something.. i am on blacklist #2.. and I want a new car.. and when i buy one in "my cars" I can never race with it in Career mode... WHY Is THat

    Emily Sunday, 26 March 2006, 07:29:47

45. I don't get something.. i am on blacklist #2.. and I want a new car.. and when i buy one in "my cars" I can never race with it in Career mode... WHY Is THat

    Emily Sunday, 26 March 2006, 07:29:47

46. iik wil deze spel hebbe

    serkan Friday, 31 March 2006, 20:46:50

48. is a good game

    alberto Saturday, 1 April 2006, 07:40:37

49. Isn't there a download link?

    Agenth Friday, 7 April 2006, 18:38:54

50. c,ghudryh765rdxdfdt4374n jfyhwerfgr68e6ygtw8irfheirfgi7rgfwfblityrfrolgflr,hgblrhgtrfwuaoaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

    bggtf Sunday, 16 April 2006, 16:34:42

51. Hey whatever the say you're the best

    G-virus Tuesday, 18 April 2006, 13:02:22

52. There should be a free download for NFS Most wanted

    John Dell Sunday, 23 April 2006, 11:53:7

53. lolololololololol

    ibra Friday, 28 April 2006, 02:41:45

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